We are through the third week in the American Hockey League and there are a lot of teams looking for an identity.

Some, like this weeks top team in Providence, have found that identity. The Bruins, as advertised, are a great team. Others, like last place Ontario Reign in the 30 spot this week, are still looking for a win and that identity.

Lots to get to this week, like every week, so let’s get ripping by showing you the top five teams and then jumping through to 6-30 if you didn’t link in direct from anywhere. Starting off in Providence….

1	Last Week: PRO 5 @ SPR 2, BEL 2 @ PRO 3 (SO), LAV 1 @ PRO 4
	P-Bruins won three games with three different goaltenders. The teeth on that buzzsaw in Rhode Island are getting sharper.
+10	This Week: @ BNG 10/27, @ HER 10/28
Record: 5-1-0-0

2	Last Week: HER 1 @ MIL 4, RFD 6 @ MIL 2
	Were the last team to lose in the AHL, only yield to the Providence Bruins this week in the Rankings because of it. Nice tests this week.
-1	This Week: @ RFD 10/27, @ CHI 10/28
Record: 4-1-0-0

3	Last Week: SA 3 @ TEX 2 (SO), SA 6 @ TEX 2, TEX 1 @ SA 3
	Rampage sweep in-state Texas this week and are probably the best team in the AHL you don’t think of right now.
+4	This Week: vs. SJ 10/27, vs. SD 10/29
Record: 5-1-0-0

4	Last Week: CHA 0 @ TOR 4, CHA 6 @ TOR 4
	Split a pair with the Checkers this week. Still lead the North, and should keep on their winning ways this week.
-1	This Week: @ SYR 10/27, vs. LAV 10/28
Record: 5-2-0-0

5	Last Week: BRI 2 @ LV 5, LV 4 @ BNG 3
	Phantoms are off to an expected good start. How long can they sustain it remains the question.
+5	This Week: vs. SPR 10/25, @ SPR 10/27, vs. HFD 10/28
Record: 5-1-0-1

Click through here to see teams 6 through 30

Week 2 AHL Power Rankings are due and there isn’t that much of a shake up at the top.

The new number one team is the only team undefeated after the second week of play, and that’s the Milwaukee Admirals.

Last week’s number one, the Texas Stars, did not fall too far, they drop to second.

Last week I debuted a new format to the Rankings, and this week I think to draw more eye to it while scanning the website, I am going to give you the top 5 teams and then make you click the jump for the teams 6-30. If you link in direct via e-mail, Twitter, Facebook or otherwise, you won’t see the jump. Let me know what you think.

Here we go starting with the Top 5…

1	Last Week: MIL 5 @ RFD 3
	Admirals are still undefeated after just playing one game this weekend against Rockford. Welcome the Hershey Bears from the Eastern Conference and rematch against the IceHogs this week.
+3	This Week: vs. HER 10/20, vs. RFD 10/21
Record: 3-0-0-0

2	Last Week: TEX 3 @ SD 1, TEX 1 @ SD 5
	Stars will get cozy this week with in-state rival San Antonio, with a trio of games.
-1	This Week: vs. SA 10/20, vs. SA 10/21, @ SA 10/22
Record: 3-1-0-0

3	Last Week: TOR 2 @ HFD 5, PRO 3 @ TOR 2, TOR 2 @ SPR 1
	Nice weekend for Toronto through New England, especially after dealing Providence their first loss of the season Saturday.
+3	This Week: vs. CHA 10/21, vs. CHA 10/22
Record: 4-1-0-0

4	Last Week: BNG 7 @ LAV 8 (OT), BNG 5 @ LAV 1
	This team can run with anyone it looks like early on. Tough road test through the Atlantic this week should hash out that claim.
+1	This Week: @ WBS 10/20, @ BRI 10/21, @ PRO 10/22
Record: 3-1-0-0

5	Last Week: BNG 7 @ LAV 8 (OT), BNG 5 @ LAV 1
	Devils are shaping up to be a tough team. Lost a run and gun affair Friday in a game that saw three hat tricks then come back and adjust and handle the Rocket easily Saturday night.
+7	This Week: @ SYR 10/20, vs. LV 10/21
Record: 2-0-1-0

Click through here to see teams 6 through 30

After a long summer for some and a shorter one for others, the first weekend of the 2017-18 AHL season is in the books.

Some teams are 2-0, other teams are 0-2. There are a bunch of teams in the middle somewhere because no one played three games this weekend.

Usually in the first weeks of the season here at the Rankings you see teams riding the elevator up and down. I don’t expect anything different here as we get rolling on the season. One weekend does not a season make, but you would rather start off on the right foot rather than the losing one.

New look to the Rankings this year, hope you like it. Please leave input below.

The Texas Stars are on top of the Power Rankings after week one after two wins against a very strong Chicago Wolves team. For a Stars team that missed playoffs last season, you probably couldn’t draw it up any better in Cedar Park.

Jump through if you didn’t link in direct to see where your favorite team ended up.

Read more of this post

It’s the final version of the 2016-17 Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings. Another year of doing this thing. It seems to be really popular and something that you guys seem to like so let’s keep it going for next year, shall we?

How I do the final Power Rankings edition is that the team that won the regular season is number one, followed by runner up in the opposite conference, then all the division champions in the top four then the other 12 playoff teams. All 16 teams that qualified are in the top 16 then the rank and file all the way to 30.

I won’t keep you here. Click through the jump if you didn’t link in direct…

Read more of this post

The final week of the AHL regular season is upon us and things are still in doubt for a handful of teams. There are teams that have clinched divisions and conferences in Wilkes-Barre and San Jose, and teams that are pushing to make the playoffs in the top five this week in Charlotte and Cleveland. There are teams that are elevating up and down in Hershey and Bridgeport and teams that had promising runs this season and have come or will come up short in Des Moines and Utica.

It’s down to the Penguins or Barracuda for the Kilpatrick Trophy in the one race we here in Wilkes-Barre will be watching this final week of the regular season. These two teams are one and two in this weeks AHL Power Rankings.

To see the rest of the teams that fill out this weeks edition, click through the jump if you didn’t link in direct.

Read more of this post

Week 25 and the playoff picture in the AHL is starting to come together.

The first Eastern Conference team has punched a playoff ticket in Wilkes-Barre.

There is a game being played of hot potato for the fourth sport in many divisions.

San Jose remains your number one team this week as it appears it will be down to the Barracuda and the Penguins to decide who wins the regular season championship.

Penguins jump up to second this week, their biggest rivals in Hershey take a nosedive out of the top 20.

Click through the jump to see where your team ended up this week if you didn’t link in direct.

Read more of this post

It was a great week for the Charlotte Checkers and a horrible week for the Iowa Wild. The Wild, coming into Week 24 solidly in a playoff spot, drop four straight against Charlotte and Cleveland, the two teams pursuing the Wild for the final spot in the Central Division and right now sit out of the playoff picture.

There were two more tickets punched to the postseason and two more eliminations this week. Find out who below if you didn’t link in direct.

Read more of this post